Outgoing GOP governor: Voters in battleground states ‘aren’t interested in extremism’

Outgoing Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker (R) says the midterm elections results indicate voters in swing states “aren’t interested in extremism.” 

“I think the biggest issue that played out in the midterms … is voters, generally speaking, especially in battleground states, aren’t interested in extremism. They just aren’t,” Baker, who did not seek reelection this year, told Jake Tapper on CNN’s “The Lead.” 

“They want people who they believe are going be reasonable, who are going to be collaborative and who represent sort of the fundamental tenet of democracy — that it’s supposed to be a distributed decisionmaking model and you’re supposed to be OK with that,” Baker said. 

Democratic Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey will follow Baker in the state’s governor’s mansion after Tuesday’s vote. Healey became one of the first two openly lesbian women elected governor last week, alongside Democrat Tina Kotek in Oregon.

Republicans had touted that their candidates would pull off a “red wave” of wins in this year’s midterms to take congressional control, but the party struggled in key races for both chambers. 

Democrats bucked historical trends and are projected to hold on to the majority in the Senate. Though Republicans are favored to win the House, they’re set to do so by a much smaller margin than they’d hoped. 

Some far-right candidates lost their races despite endorsements and support from former President Trump and other GOP figures as Democrats put up a better-than-expected fight in key areas.

In Pennsylvania, Democrat Lt. Gov. John Fetterman was projected to defeat Republican Mehmet Oz in a win that some reports say particularly angered the former president.

“I think in the midterms, one of the big lessons that the Republican Party nationally needs to take away from [the election] is voters want collaborative elected officials. They don’t want extremes,” Baker said.

Baker’s full interview on “The Lead” airs Monday at 4 p.m. ET.

White House senior adviser Anita Dunn on Sunday said that painting pro-Trump Republicans as extremists was a “very effective strategy” for Democrats.